``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Thursday October 21, 1915 Chicago, Illinois - Mother Jones Arrives to Aid Strikers, Testifies Before City Council
Garment Workers Parade in Chicago on October 12th `````````` Mother Jones arrived in Chicago on Saturday to lend her aid to the striking garment workers in their struggle for a living wage and shorter hours. She was found on Tuesday testifying before Ald. Utpatel's special council committee where she made the following statement: If I were mayor...I'd find a way to close down the factories of the men who won't pay living wages.I do know from these girls that they get only 8 cents an hour, and that don't even pay car fare. If they hire gunmen to beat up these girls, who are the mothers of the future, then I say to them we'll have to defend ourselves. We wouldn't be good Americans if we didn't. I say, "Go to it. We'll fight."
I've prevented violence again and again. I've gone into saloons to tell the men to go on home, but violence is necessary sometimes.
If they'd give the salaries of the military and the gunmen to the workers they might avoid a strike. We don't want any of their miserable charity; what we want is just plain American Justice.